


Of secrets and confessions

by nigoi



Category: Inazuma Eleven: Ares no Tenbin
Genre: Gen, Minor Character Death, Self-Indulgent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-10
Updated: 2018-04-10
Packaged: 2019-04-21 06:54:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14279448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nigoi/pseuds/nigoi
Summary: Asuto Inamori has never suffered in his life—that was the general consensus among the members of Yuuma’s team, and, if Haizaki was to be believed, his too.That’s why, when Yuuma overheard Kirina and Norika speaking about Inamori being hurting, he had a reasonable number of doubts.-Or: Yuuma discovers a few things about Asuto.





	Of secrets and confessions

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by the fist two chapters of IE Ares and my teen-angst-fueled heart.
> 
> Enjoy!

Asuto Inamori has never suffered in his life—that was the general consensus among the members of Yuuma’s team, and, if Haizaki was to be believed, his too.

Granted, he almost lost the possibility of playing football, but… To be honest, worse things happened everyday.

That’s why, when Yuuma overheard Kirina and Norika speaking about Inamori being hurting, he had a reasonable number of doubts.

To satiate them, he ducked behind the corner right before they saw him, and listened in.

They were speaking in hushed whispers, so Yuuma couldn’t make out most of the things they said. What he _could_ understand, however, was concerning.

“...anniversary of his mother’s death…”

“...cheer him up…”

“...playing football?”

Yuuma sucked in a breath, surprised. Surely he must have heard wrong? He didn’t have the opportunity to check, because they seemed to have finished the discussion and moved on to more light-hearted topics.

Interest in the conversation lost, he decided to look for Inamori. Trying to get the information directly out of him seemed to be the best course of action.

Now, where to find him? Mmmm… Let’s see, he heard “playing football”, so, obviously, he must be playing football! (Yuuma ignored the voice that told him they could be speaking about how to cheer Inamori up, not where he was. He didn’t have more leads, so.)

Yuuma head down to the nearest football pitch —the river one—, but Inamori wasn’t there. He tried his luck in the Raimon one, his team’s, Inamori’s neighbourhood’s… But he wasn’t there either.

He was about to call it quits and give up on his quest, when he suddenly remembered there was one old pitch in the Inazuma Tower. He sprinted all the way there, never stopping until he reached the Tower Hill’s stairs.

He wanted to catch his breath, and also prepare what he was going to say. He needed to look _cool_ and _composed._

Once he was breathing normally, he went up the stairs and… There he was, Asuto Inamori in all his splendour. He didn’t seem to have noticed Yuuma, so that was a point for him. Now, he could take his sweet time to observe him.

He was dribbling, making the very familiar noise of a ball being hit. The summer sunlight illuminated his face, highlighting his furrowed brows and… tear tracks. The probability of his mother being dead was increasing, and Yuuma didn’t like it.

Suddenly, Inamori and him crossed glances, and the noise of the ball stopped. Judging by his wide eyes, he was rightfully surprised to see him there.

“Oh, hi.” He seemed a little crestfallen, but tried to hide it with a cheerful smile. It didn’t quite fit. “What are you doing here?”

Yuuma mulled over his answer. Hm, it would be best to cut right through the heart of the matter.

“Actually, I wanted to ask you something.” Inamori blinked, curious. “Is your mother dead?”

Right after the words left his mouth, he realized how blunt they were. Inamori seemed to realize it too, because he flinched so hard he almost fell down.

The boy took a moment to gather his bearings. Once he was reasonably calm, Inamori answered, eyes downcast. "...Yes.”

(Did you hear it? That was the noise of Yuuma’s beliefs crumbling like a castle of cards.)

Yuuma didn’t know what to say to that, so an awkward atmosphere quietly settled in. Thankfully, Inamori was a chatterbox, probably wanted to vent, and trusted Yuuma enough to do so with him.

“Since I was little, my mom has always been ill.” Inamori was speaking softly, as if he didn’t want to be heard. Who knows, maybe he didn’t. “We lived alone, only the two of us, so maybe it was because she did all the housework while I played soccer. At first, it was only colds, sometimes the flu, but when I was ten… She collapsed.”

Inamori’s lips were pressed into a grim line. He mustn’t be used to telling this story. Yuuma would ask him to stop but… he was _curious_.

“I didn’t really understand what happened at the time, only that my mom was in the hospital and wasn’t going to get out of there ever.”

His eyes watered, and Yuuma was starting to get _very_ uncomfortable. As if reading his mind, Inamori smiled (although it was more like a grimace) and tried to turn the story a bit cheerier.

“My mom was still awesome, even ill! She was given six months to live, but lasted four times that! She told me that was because she loved me… She was the coolest.” His voice cracked right there, and Yuuma regretted even his own existence.

Damn curiosity. Why couldn’t he have shut his mouth for once?

The sun was setting, and its light reflected in Inamori’s eyes. He looked like he was going to cry… but he didn’t. Instead, demonstrating his surprisingly strong willpower, he managed a little soft smile.

“Thanks for listening to me.”

It was a whisper, fluttering in the wind, but Yuuma heard it anyways.

The conversation had already finished, so Inamori started to walk away. Yuuma, possessed by the moment,  took his hand to stop him. His grip was tight, and he wouldn’t let go.

“Wait!” Yuuma stated, firm. He stared right at Inamori’s wide eyes,and took a decision. “You have told me your story, so now I’ll tell you mine.”

Inamori’s mouth slackened, and he gasped, making him look like a caricature. Yuuma must have seemed very reserved, to provoke such a reaction. Oh, well.

Yuuma took a deep breath, and spoke.

 

\---

 

They bid farewell to each other when the sun had already set.

Today had been a weird day, but that, however, didn’t mean it was bad. Yuuma was feeling calmer—lighter, in a sense. Judging by Inamori’s skip in his step and relaxed shoulders, he was feeling the same way.

Now, he had more insight on his… friend? He supposed he could call him that, after leaving themselves so bare with each other.

The stars were sparkling in the sky, and the moon was as beautiful as ever. Yuuma found the sight relaxing, and cracked a smile.

Well, what mattered was that, when others spoke about Inam- … Asuto’s naivety, Yuuma would know the truth. He was now part of a select group of people, who would only expand as time passed.

Life was surprising, but good.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Join my campaign! https://campbskirt.tumblr.com/


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